Tractor trailer construction



Jan. 11, 1927. CERSKNE TRACTOR TRAILER CONSTRUCTION Fled Sept. 30, 1924 ATYORN S of the two units is facilitated.

Patented Jan. V11., 1927.

UNITED A*STATES PATENT OFFICE@ CLYDE ERSKINE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO' INTERNATIONAL MOTOR A COMPANY, .0F NEW YORK, N.'Y., A 'CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TRACTOR TRAILER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 30, 1924. Serial No. 740,701..

This invention relates to improvements in tractor trailers and particularly to the type .1n whlch a motor propelled tractor is employed in association with a semi-trailer, al-

though the improvements may find applica The invention is con-` tion to full ltrailers. cerned particularly with improved coupling devices by which connection or disconnection It has been constructions to provide for coupling and uncoupling in connection with the raising of the forward end of thetrailer unit by power transferred thereto Ain'backing up or kick- .ing back the tractor. The present inven- 'n ltion has for its principal object to provide power operated coupling means which will serve to lifty the free end of the trailer a distance suiicient to remove its support from the groundgand simultaneously couple .the two parts for transportation. A further object. ofthe invention is-to associate with such raising and coupling means automatic devices which are also operated by power to move the trailer support intoinoperative position and maintain it there so long as the load is being transported, such devices Teleasing the support automatically when the trailer is uncoupled. In accordance with the invention the power for effecting the desired ends may be derived fromthe motor of the tractor and applied to the coupling devices through any suitable means which themselves engage with co-operating -coupling meanson vthe trailer when the power is provided. The coupling devices themselves are preferably of such nature as to be substantially self-aligned so that th-e tractor and trailer neednot be. brought with undue nicety in predetermined relationship and so that the tractor may be moved into coupling relation With the trailer from practically any angle of approach thereby greatly facilitating the transport problems often encountered.

These" and othery objects .of the invention will appear more particularly hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of the embodiment illustrated `by lway of eX- ample in the accompanying drawings7 where- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional typ"e\tractor'and semi-trailer Figure '2 is a fragmentary'view in plan showing the units 1n coupled relation.

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinall section through the parts shown in Figure 2 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

Figure 4 is atransverse view through the coupling devices taken -on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Figure 2 and loolr 'ing in thedirection of the arrows.A

As the description proceeds it .will be evident to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited -in respect of matters wholly of design. form or' dimensions so long as the results sought for are secured by a combination of means operating substantially in accordance with the principles de scribed.

Any type of trac-tor or trailer or semitrailer and any available source of power for accomplishing any of the desired purposes and any sort of support for the trailer may be used. As shown in Figure 1 a tractor a is indicated as propelled by a. motor b having a power take oil" shown conventionally at c and this tractor is suitable for cooperation with a semi-trailer d for `transporting the latter' from place to place while free for locomotion when the trailer is uncoupled. A semi-trailer is provided with a support d of some type which with wheels d hold the trailer in loading position when idle. The problem is to provide means which are simple and effective for readily enabling the tractor a to berbrought into operativexengagement with the free end of the trailer d andas readily disconnected therefrom when desired. During this coupling operation it is evident that the support olmust be moved out of or into engagement with the ground as the case may be and to do this the free end of the trailer must be raised or lowered. Such raising and lowering has usually been accomplished by backing the tractor a against the trailer, fro-operating devices such as inclined run-ways serving to give the necessary lift or permit the lowering of the trailer as the case might be. have not only been unsatisfactory in operation for many reasons but have distinctly limited the range of movement of the tractor during the coupling and uncoupling operation since the two must needs be in virtual alignment. In accordance with the end of the trailer to lift lthe same or lower it Iwhen andas required. Further, it is sought to provide interengaging devices on the two units of simple and positive form and selfaligning through appreciable distance so thatnot only may the tractor be brought into couplinglrelationawith the trailer. readily but its radius of movement is through an angle of morevthan 180'. Referring. now to the particular embodiment illustrated it will be seen that there is a pivoted platform e supported on trunnions e" at its opposite sides in the side 'frame members a" ofv they tractor. This hinged platform is held yieldingly inr nested'relation to the frame of the tractor and below the plane thereof by means of 'a y.suitable spring-,e2 operatively engaging th'e\ trunnions therefor. l swinging platform is carried a male coupling member e3 of'generally conical-form` On the a-Xis of the'member e3 is provided in the platform e alongitudinal Aslot et. Power for swingingtlie platform e about the trunnions e against the action of the restraining spring e2 may be lderivedconveniently from the propelling motor for the tractor through f the p'ower. take off c in any manner now commonly employed. The

illustrating asa wormo and worm/wheel f,

. on which the warm wheelf is secured power take off shaft@ may yextend rearward yofjthe frame ofthextractobr and through suitable gearing,

operate cams f', f2, iixed on a cross shaft f3 Two of the cams f are adapted to engage the under ,surface of the swinging platfornre directly while one of the cams f2 ..therebe tween is adapted to move upwardly through the slot e4 under the conical'portion of the male coupling member e3. Through the apex of the cone of the coupling member e3 extends a sliding pin g which is moved upwardly when its low end is engaged bythe cam f2 and which movesdownwardly when the-cam f2 is disengaged therefrom.

.Reference is now tobe had to,`.tl'1e complementary interengaging portions of tlfe coupling means provided on the trailer. VAt the front end of the trailer there is sus- `pen'dedin a bracket h .a gimbal lringnz' in kwhich 1s ]ournale d an inverted conical fef malefcoupling member c ofbell-likexform .L ,adapted tqrecelve the male coupling memby the 'meansdescribod and'selgf-alignment is ber e?. nThe trnnnions z" for the gimbal ring .z' are displacedl through 90.o from the trunnions 7c for the coupling momborc. Universal movement of the latter is afforded secured I,when the coupling member e3 is forcedupwardly into engagement withthe coupling member@ by swinging the plat-l On the form e upwardly under the-influenceof the cams ff. From the description given it will be evidentv that` the `devices as described are sulicient to accomplish the principal objects of the invention. When the tractor is backed in from any angle under the forward end of the trailer a? and the-coupling member e3 thereby broughtV into lvirtual alignment with the coupling member In (but not necessarily with any degree) of nicety) power, under the control of a clutch c? may be applied to the power take off sha-ft c. thereby 1 revolving the cams f on the shaft 7'3- and swinging the platform e upwardly until the wtwo coupling memberse3, ica are interengaged. Continued upwardmovement of the platform e will serve to raise the `end of the trailer d and .disengagethe support d (or wheels lwhere^ employed) from `the ground.

In such condition'the parts are readyfor ,M

y(transport. 'Contrariwise, when the tractor is to be uncoupled from the trailerthe power' `take 0H shaft c is rotated in a contrary d1-` rection thereby witl) rawing the` cams f from under the plat yend of the trailer. down onto itsv supports.

Continued downward movement of the plat-I orm e and lowering `the form e will with'draw the coupling member e3 from engagement withthe coupling `memv- '95' ber lc,

Anotherimprovement which may be associated with the devices described resides inl the co-operation of the pin Jg under the influence of the cam f2 with meansfor moving the support al for the trailer out of operative position. Onesuch simple mechanism 1s illustrated as including a rocking bar Z which 'is pivoted as atl. on the trailer and overlies the pin g at one vend while engaged operatively at the rear with an arm Z2 semally, the support d', is held in a substanp tially vertical position by action of a spring d* operatively engaged therewith. However, if the cams f are moved to eiect the .coupling in the manner describedthe cam f2 forces the pin g, upwardly thereby. roeking the bar Z in such wise as to oscillate the g rock shaft d3 and swing the support d rearwardly against theaction of the spring'v d. So' long as the trailer remains thus coupledv the support d', will be held in this inoperative position. As soon, however, as the yparts`are uncoupled the cam f2 relays the the' support d intooperative position simulv taneously with the loweringof the trailer.

The parts described while effective to accomplish the' particular results intended may be modified in form and relation o r `v`plunger g and frees the-spring d* to lswing s What I claim is: I

ll. Ina tractor trailer unit, a'sup'ptort Yfor" the trailer and movable with respect trailer supportwith respect to the thereto, co-operating movable devices carried Vby the respective parts, power means on the tractor to bring the coupling devices coupling devices carried by the *respective Vpartsa support'for the trailer and movable with respect thereto, power means on the tractor to bring the coupling devices into en! gagement and simultaneously lift `the trailer from its slpport, and means operated by said power means for simultaneously moving the `trailer tov inoperative position. i

4. Ina tractor trailer unit, in combination with the two component parts, a'support @for thetrailer, a coupling device on the trailer, a complementary couplingv device `carried on the tractor, and adapted to be brought into engagement with the said coupling device on the trailer, power take ofi' means on the engine of the tractor to move the second named coupling device into engagemenwith said rst named coupling devicepmeans supported on the trailer for moving lts support to lnoperative position, and means carrled wlth the second named coupling member and engaged by said power means for actuating the means for moving said support.'

5. In a tractor trailer unit, inter-engaging coupling devices carried on the respective parts, means hinged within the tractor frame and normally retracted therein for mounting one of the elements and means for moving the mounting pivotally about the hinge to engage the elements. n

6. In a trailer. unit, "a conical `coupling means, a support for the Jfront of the trailer movable from supporting to-non-supporting position and means extending through the axis ,of the coupling means and operable simultaneously therewith for operating the support.

same, 'a support pivotally mounted on the trailer for use-whenthe latter is uncoupled, means. for urging the support to a supporting position, a lever connected with the support and extending over .the center of the coupling means, la pin movable vertically in 7. In,a traqor trailer unit, a conical cou-` plmg means, cam means for operating the the axisof the coupling means to engage the lever and a cam ,movable with the first mentioned cam means for moving the pin verticallywhereby the support will-be moved to non-supporting position. v

8. In a tractor and'trailer having auxiliary supporting means, a coupling mechanism comprising ,male and female conical members, a gimbal ring mounting therefor, and means extending through said members for operating the'supporting means. t f This' specification signed'this 23d day of September, A. D. 1924.

CLY'DE iiiasKiNE.v 

